Job creation and local economic development 2018

This report from OECD examines the impact of technological progress on regional and local labour markets.

The nature of work is rapidly changing. Technological progress and automation represent an opportunity to boost labour productivity and create flexible working conditions that better suit worker needs in all places - from cities to rural areas. There are, however, mounting concerns about how many and what kind of jobs will be available in the future. Another growing source of concern is whether the future of work will exacerbate inequalities between people and across places.

Indeed, the challenges and opportunities generated by greater use of technology in the workplace are not equally distributed across places. Within the same country, some regions will be more exposed than others to the risk of job automation because of their economic structure and the skills of their workers. Meanwhile, many new jobs will be created - the question is what types of jobs will become available and where.